An Unacknowledged Partnership
by Partners In Fanfic
Summary: Neal Caffrey was always used to things happening right away. But he learned that at least one thing doesn't form overnight: a partnership.  Peter/Neal friendship, partnership...NO SLASH
1. Neal

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WHITE COLLAR.**_

_EAJP here. Well, this is a little oneshot that has been floating around in my head. It actually was in the form of a much different story, but my lovely partner in Fanfic KWY steered me clear of that train wreck. Hope you enjoy!_

KWY here. Back again. Seems like I'll be sticking around for a little while before going on an unplanned hiatus again. Hopefully of course that won't happen. This oneshot here went through a lot of work so review and leave your thoughts!

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_**An Unacknowledged Partnership**_

_Neal: We're partners?_

_Peter: You tell me. ~~ Season 1, Episode 6 "All In"  
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Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke didn't meet under the best of circumstances. Neal was a thief and a con man on the run; Peter was an FBI agent sick of chasing the criminal around. Still, they met, and Peter agreed to Neal's proposition – Neal would work for him to serve out the rest of his sentence. No one was quite sure why Peter agreed to the arrangement (not even Neal himself), but after some hesitation, he did. And because of that that, Neal thought that maybe Peter liked him a little more than he liked the average criminal. But sadly, Neal knew that it would take many steps and leaps of faith to truly become friends – partners even – with the Peter Burke.

Still, Neal was more than a little hurt when Peter wouldn't say that they were partners. It was a fact that Neal Caffrey, infamous con artist and art thief, would not admit to anyone – not even to Mozzie, who was close enough to Neal to be considered his best friend. It was a fact that had bothered Neal, a fact that had strangely enough consumed him when he had time to think of things other than the FBI, conning criminals, and Kate. Neal had always thought that agreeing to work with Peter meant an automatic partnership, but obviously, Peter had different thoughts on the matter.

Thinking about it, Neal realized that it wasn't that Peter had denied they were partners, he just wouldn't acknowledge that they were. And to Neal, that still hurt – there wasn't a difference. He knew, somewhere in his subconscious where all his logic hides (sometimes at the most inconvenient moments), that Peter probably was not being completely serious, or at least wasn't completely focused on what he was saying when Neal asked if they were partners.

But Neal also knew how people worked; it was how he used to make his living, knowing and understanding people just enough to con them successfully. And from his experiences of dealing with people, he knew that everything they said, serious or not, had some kind of truth behind it. While Peter might not have downright expressed that they weren't partners, he surely let Neal know that he wasn't exactly happy working with him – or trusting him.

Neal understood that Peter wouldn't trust him at first. While Neal may have prided himself on being a thief that never hurt anyone physically, he still was a thief. And historically, thieves weren't known to be best of friends with FBI agents. Maybe it was just because Neal had never really thought of how others viewed him before that point (he honestly had no need; as long as he was making headlines for being a cunning art thief and raking in money to prove it, anything else didn't matter), but when he got to know Peter, he realized that many people thought that any move he made would be the move to escape from the FBI and go back to the life he had lived before Peter, before prison.

But Neal, slowly and surely, proved them – and most importantly, Peter – wrong. As time wore on and Neal handled more cases, he showed that while he was still a con artist, he had changed into a con artist with good intentions. And he did it for Peter, he realized. Neal owed Peter for his life as he knew it then (if it weren't for him, he would be sitting in jail staring at the ceiling), and he desperately wanted Peter to see that he had all intentions of paying him back.

Then, Neal told Peter he trusted him. And only him. And it was true, for the most part. He had said that after he had gotten over the partnership comment, and before everything with Kate happened. He trusted Peter simply because Peter trusted him back. And because somehow, Peter had become a friend. It had occurred gradually, Neal assumed, when neither of them was really paying attention. But as gradually as the friendship occurred, the realization that Neal trusted Peter came very suddenly, and with it came a feeling very foreign to Neal – trust.

Some would argue that Neal trusted Mozzie. And he did, sort of. But the trust Neal had in Mozzie was different – more criminal. To Neal, Mozzie was a partner in crime, someone who could keep secrets and make plans – a point man of sorts – and that required a certain level of trust between the two men. But with Peter, Neal could actually trust him with his _life_. Peter would never do anything where Neal might die, and if the situation ever arose, Peter's gun was always around his waist, ready to be used. He was, in a sense, Neal's only safe haven.

And then, everything with Kate blew up (literally, to a point). The trust Neal felt was there, but strained, and partnership was almost out of the question – or at least should have been. Neal should have been back to being against Peter, but instead found Peter was with him, trying to help him. It was then that Neal thought that maybe – just maybe – Peter would finally come out and say they were partners.

But even after everything that happened with Kate, Peter still wouldn't admit it. But honestly, he didn't need to. That didn't mean Neal didn't want him to, but he didn't need to hear it any more. Peter had proved it when he came back for Neal in jail after the plane. Neal knew he didn't have to, and the fact that he did proved that they went from being coworkers to partners – because partners never leave each other behind, not good ones anyway.

Finally things with Kate died down. She became a case on the back of everyone's minds, something to think about when all other work was done. And with that, Neal felt that Peter trusted him a little more. There was more joking during cases, and they were becoming more on the same page with the way they thought.

Now in the present time, with all foreboding thoughts behind him, Neal was alright with his unacknowledged partnership with Peter; he was over Peter's sort of denial of a partnership, over any doubts he had of Peter. Their relationship was a partnership, a job, and a friendship – something that Neal enjoyed having. Not to mention, he got to use all of his con artist tricks, which impressed Peter (something else Neal suspected Peter would not admit to).

Neal straightened his tie one last time before putting his fedora on. Peter had invited him over for a house party that Elizabeth was hosting for their friends. Neal was quick to point out that it meant that Peter considered him a friend, but Peter merely said Elizabeth instructed him to invite Neal. Neal had then pointed out that Peter was to evasion what he himself was to art thievery. Peter had told him to get back to work or he was going back to prison.

With a grin to himself over the memory, Neal headed out the door. He might not have been able to make Peter admit that they were partners (or friends, for that matter), but he was a con man. If not for anything other than his own satisfaction, Neal would make Peter admit they were partners, even if he had to con him to do it.

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**Feedback anyone? Let me know what you think. Reviews are greatly appreciated. If you like this, I might continue this as a twoshot with Peter's view on the relationship.**

**A/N: KWY and I have a Twitter for our Fanfiction! Please look us up on Twitter...our username is Partners_Fanfic (note the underscore). Follow us and then tweet us, saying you're from FF. =) Thanks. -EAJP **and KWY (you forgot me EAJP HOW COULD YOU!)**  
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	2. Peter

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS.**_

_EAJP here. Lovely response to my oneshot, so I decided to extend it to a twoshot. I would have gotten this out earlier, but school's back in session, which means less time to write. Anyway, this chapter will focus on Peter's thoughts on the matter. Pardon any errors or confusing parts...I'm temporarily without my right hand writer. Read and enjoy!_

**FYI: ****Both Neal's and Peter's thoughts are basically my take on things. It may not be the way they think on the show, or at least the way the characters are portrayed, bu****t it's my take on their relationship.

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_Neal: What's next partner?_

_Peter: Don't call me that._

_-Season 1, episode 6 'All In'  
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Before Peter met with Neal Caffrey in that prison that fated day, Neal had been just another criminal that he had caught. Albeit one that had been a big pain in his ass, but a caught criminal nevertheless. And he was one that Peter desperately wanted kept in jail. Neal was a good conman and a smooth criminal- Peter knew that very well. So when Neal was in jail for the second time, he was very willing to let him stay there for as long as the judge felt like keeping him in there.

But then Neal made a deal with Peter; he asked for a partnership. Peter was hesitant to accept it, like any other sane person would be, of course. Truthfully, Peter knew that he shouldn't have accepted it at all; he should have walked away as soon as Neal asked to be let out. But, he didn't, because in his mind, Neal and his offer was a Catch-22. If Peter walked out the door and didn't accept the deal, there was a great chance Neal would simply escape jail _again_, meaning Peter would have to go after him _again_ (and it wasn't that fun to hunt him down the first time). But if Peter did accept it, Neal would be right under his nose – not to mention he _was_ a good con artist and would be useful to Peter. Of course there was always still the chance Neal would run while working for him. So the way Peter saw it, he was sort of screwed either way.

So, he chose option number two, because to him, it was the lesser of two evils – even if Neal ran, he would still get help from him on cases. But he also did it because to a certain extent, he _wanted_ to work with Neal. He would never admit it to anyone (although he suspected that Elizabeth had some kind of idea), but he had a certain level of respect for Neal, all things considering. He knew how to get around in the con world, something Peter was still trying to figure out how to do as an FBI agent. And Neal also knew how to deal with people – he was smooth, and for some reason (probably because of his profession), Peter admired smooth.

Still, no matter how much respect Peter had for Neal, it was hard for him to admit that they were partners of any sort. Peter knew why, too. He couldn't admit it because he wasn't supposed to think of Neal like that. Neal was a con man; Peter was an FBI agent. They were supposed to be like oil and water – but they weren't. Instead, Peter found himself at times forgetting what Neal was truly capable of – sometimes.

So when Neal asked if they were partners, Peter couldn't give him a straight answer. He knew what the answer should have been – no. Yet he knew it wasn't as simple as saying no, because a flat-out no would have been a lie. While Peter knew and understood that Neal was simply a con man at heart, he also showed a different side of himself while working for the FBI. The term 'partnership' held a special meaning in law enforcement, and Peter had been without a true partner for some time – it wasn't just going to be a title or a casual term when he said it, it was going to be a commitment. And Peter didn't know Neal well enough to commit to that.

Peter could tell that Neal was somewhat bothered by the fact that he wouldn't admit they were partners, and Peter didn't quite understand that. Neal wasn't the type to be bothered by anything (other than everything to do with Kate), but yet he was bothered by that. Peter assumed that it was because Neal probably never had a relationship like that, but he didn't say anything to Neal about it, mainly because somewhere in the back of his mind, he was expecting Neal to run after Kate at any moment.

At the time, he was also conflicted as whether to trust Neal or not. Neal was slowly improving with time, but Peter knew that he was still a thief, still Neal Caffrey the infamous con artist. He knew that on some levels, Neal was probably using him too, which hampered the trust, but Peter looked past that. When he agreed to their deal, he knew it was going to happen, and he was grateful that Neal hadn't run – yet.

Then, Neal came out and said that he trusted him – of course, he was somewhat high and delirious, but you know what they say; the stuff can act as a truth serum. And it both made Peter happy and hurt him at the same time. He was happy because he needed Neal to trust him; if Neal didn't trust him, there would be no hopes for a partnership and even greater room for Neal to turn against Peter. And knowing Neal trusted _him_, Peter felt he could allow himself to trust Neal back. After all, it's no use trusting someone who doesn't have an ounce of trust in you.

But it killed him to hear it at the same time, because Peter wasn't, at least in his mind at the time, giving Neal a reason to trust him anyway. He talked to Kate and didn't tell Neal, and he was involving himself in what was happening with Kate more than he probably should have. But he felt the only reason he was lying to Neal was to protect him – and it was true. Neal was unstable in his emotions when it came to anything with Kate, and emotional instability could lead to him doing things he would regret later. So, Peter lied.

And then Kate died, and Neal went back in jail as the whole mess got straightened out. And when Peter was finally off suspension (of course he was still hanging in the balance a bit), he went right back to Neal and got him out of that jail cell.

He probably shouldn't have done that. He probably should have taken that as a sign that jail was where Neal belonged, not playing consultant in the FBI – at least that's what the logical side of Peter's brain told him. But did he listen to it? No. He didn't because the fact was that, even though Neal was a con man, a thief, and sometimes a liar, he was still Peter's partner. Peter might have never admitted it (and probably never would) to Neal, but he did consider him an equal when it came to solving cases.

And on top of that, Peter considered Neal a friend. In jobs like the FBI, it's hard to get close to people, to get to know them on a level outside of work. But Peter, probably due to Elizabeth liking Neal, got to know him, and found that he wasn't a bad guy. Peter even told Kate that he thought of Neal as a friend.

And that turned out to be another reason Peter hated lying to Neal. Even though Kate was dead, Peter still had to lie to Neal about what he knew. Peter saw that he was just getting back to his usual self, and he didn't want Neal to have a relapse. So even though it was against what he really wanted to do, Peter protected Neal again, even though it meant lying.

But Peter could put that behind him now. It was the weekend, and he was standing in the corner of his living room, alone, as he watched Elizabeth flit around talking to guests that she invited over. It's not that he didn't know who they were – Elizabeth considered them friends of both of them – but he just wasn't interested in talking to them, probably because in the back of his mind he knew that he was waiting for Neal to come.

Elizabeth had suggested – no, _demanded_ – that Peter invite Neal. According to her, he was a friend of them and deserved a night out. Peter didn't argue with her; what Elizabeth wants, he gets her. Besides, even if he didn't admit it, he did consider Neal a personal friend and wouldn't mind having him over.

He knew that it bothered Neal that he wouldn't admit it, too. Somewhere in his subconscious, Peter knew that was the real reason he wasn't saying anything about being partners or friends. He knew that Neal knew they were, but Peter wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing it – in his mind, Neal got things too easily.

Peter looked at the ceiling and smirked as he heard the doorbell ring. Of course Neal had to be fashionably late – it drew attention. And if it's one thing Neal didn't mind having, it was attention. Peter just shook his head to himself as he saw the familiar fedora-clad man enter the room and hand Elizabeth a bottle of wine that probably cost more than some car payments.

He knew that Neal would try to get him to admit they were friends – partners even – throughout the course of the night (he had tried at work, but failed because Peter was busy). But, as mentioned, Peter wouldn't give in. Neal might have been one of the world's best con men, but Peter was the one to catch him. He might not know all of Neal's tricks, but he was definitely prepared to figure them out.

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**Well, there you have it. What do you think? Like it? Love it? **

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